Transverse-magnetic nonlinear modes in a nematic liquid-crystal slab waveguide

TM nonlinear modes of a liquid-crystal slab waveguide were studied as a function of the guided light power. Starting from Maxwell’s equations and from the torque equation for the nematic director, we derived a set of nonlinear differential equations with boundary conditions that depend on the considered geometry. The case of planar initial alignment of the nematic director has been exactly solved by a numerical technique based on the continuation method. The director reorientation induced by the guided light itself gives rise to such strong nonlinear effects as self-confinement and intrinsic optical bistability.